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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24458245">Pastels and Mobiles</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cerezsis/pseuds/cerezsis'>cerezsis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Polydiamond Family [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Birth, F/F, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff with some angst, Gem Egg Hell, Gemlings, Heart-to-Heart, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Pregnancy, White has guilt, body image issues, childbirth complications, labor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:28:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,821</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24458245</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cerezsis/pseuds/cerezsis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The diamonds wish to expand their family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blue Diamond &amp; Original Gem Character(s) (Steven Universe), Blue Diamond &amp; Pink Diamond &amp; White Diamond &amp; Yellow Diamond (Steven Universe), Blue Diamond &amp; Steven Universe &amp; White Diamond &amp; Yellow Diamond, Blue Diamond &amp; White Diamond &amp; Yellow Diamond (Steven Universe) &amp; Original Character(s), Blue Diamond/White Diamond (Steven Universe), Blue Diamond/White Diamond/Yellow Diamond (Steven Universe), Blue Diamond/Yellow Diamond (Steven Universe), Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Pink Diamond &amp; White Diamond (Steven Universe), Steven Universe &amp; White Diamond, White Diamond &amp; Original Gem Character(s) (Steven Universe), White Diamond/Yellow Diamond (Steven Universe), Yellow Diamond &amp; Original Gem Character(s) (Steven Universe)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Polydiamond Family [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1693279</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            The happy shrieks of human children rang in the ears of everyone in attendance of what Steven had called a “backyard birthday party.” The small gaggle of adolescence chased each other through the grass, past the two large trees with the colorful balloons tied to the trunk, and the large banner that hung between them that read “Happy Birthday Lisa!”</p><p>            White watched everything unfold from the comfort of the otherwise empty party table. Yellow had shrunken them down so they could attend the party, but she felt so out of place that she might as well have stayed her natural size. Blue and Yellow had gotten swept into a conversation with a pair of humans she didn’t recognize, and Spinel was having the time of her life with the children, leaving White to feel even more isolated in the sea of humans and Crystal Gems.</p><p>            A small but sudden tug on her skirt brough White out of her thoughts. She looked down just in time to see the light green toddler climb onto her lap. Before she could ask what she was up to, Mint grabbed a handful of the nuts that were set out on the table, shoved them into her mouth, and ran off without ever uttering a word.</p><p>            White chuckled as she watched her daughter run back over to the human children. Seeing her next to Steven’s two children, it amazed her how quickly humans aged compared to gems. Lisa and Dominic were only eleven and nine, but despite Mint’s older age of twenty-five, she was physically and developmentally at the stage they were at the age of three.</p><p>            While she watched Mint play, White saw out of the corner of her eye that someone had sat down at the table with her. She turned, expecting to see Yellow or Blue, but was surprised and delighted to see the half-diamond man who invited her to this party.</p><p>            “Oh, Steven!” White grinned.</p><p>            Steven smiled, politely, back at her.</p><p>            “You know you don’t have to sit here all day. You could join the party.”</p><p>            Of course she knew that. Of course she knew she knew she <em>could</em>, but the thought of leaving her little corner filled her with a sense of dread.</p><p>            “Oh, I’m perfectly fine right here,” White said, masking her anxiety with a smile, “I enjoy watching the children have their fun.”</p><p>            She looked back over at the group of kids, noticing that Mint and Dominic were no longer with the group. While the older kids playfully hit each other with balloon swords, Dominic had taken Mint aside to sit in the shade and blow bubbles.</p><p>            “Your Dominic is such a kind child,” White grinned, “He reminds me so much of you when you were younger.”</p><p>            Steven smiled. “I think he’s still shy around Lisa’s friends. She’s a bit caught up in her birthday right now, but she usually tries to help him feel better.”</p><p>            White nodded and grinned. She loved hearing him talk about his children, and she especially loved the bond the two of them shared. Ever since Dominic was born, Lisa had been very protective of him. Steven had loved to tell the story of how when he’d brought Lisa to see Connie and baby Dominic in the hospital, she had the most starry-eyed look upon seeing her baby brother for the first time. The way he told it was so precious, and White hoped to see something like that for herself one day.</p><p>            The day went on, and the party began to wind down. The diamonds gathered Mint and Spinel, said their goodbyes to Steven, Connie, and the children, and boarded their ship, where Yellow restored them to their natural size. From the monitor, they could see the humans that were still at the party staring up as the ship began to take off. Blue and Yellow put their hands together to make their ships form a heart shape, and then they quickly took off, much to the amazement of the small crowd.</p><p>            White breathed a sign of relief as they began to leave the stratosphere. As much as she loved seeing Steven and his children, she was elated to finally be heading home.</p><p>            “Mommyyyyyy,” a tiny voice came from behind.</p><p>            White turned around to see Mint staring up at her.</p><p>            “When can we go back to Earth?” Mint asked.</p><p>            “As soon as Steven invites us next.”</p><p>            “When will that be?”</p><p>            “Mint, come here for a moment,” Blue gently urged, knowing that Mint would just keep spouting off the same questions she always did if she wasn’t distracted.</p><p>            Mint turned and ran over to Blue. Blue picked her up and took her to sit by the controls. White watched as Blue explained what all the controls did, and every now and then having to stop the toddler from pressing buttons.</p><p>            A few hours later, they were finally back on Homeworld. White looked at the view of the world from the screen as the ship landed. The sun had almost completely set, but many gems were still walking the streets. A certain gem caught her eye; a howlite that she recognized as once belonging to her court, happily pushing a pram down the street. White couldn’t help but smile to herself. Just a couple decades ago, seeing a juvenile gem was considered to be a once in a lifetime experience. Now, you could hardly turn a corner without seeing a gem with an infant in her arms or holding hands with a toddler. Seeing the old-fashioned method of gem production becoming popular again was wonderful, both because it meant their population growth wouldn’t fall too much now that they weren’t using kindergartens anymore, and because it meant Mint wouldn’t be short on playmates.</p><p>            As the diamonds and Spinel exited the ship and entered the palace through White’s bubble, Mint let out an audible yawn. Looking down at her, her mothers took note of her droopy eyes and sluggish movements.</p><p>            “It looks like someone’s ready for bed,” Blue said, gently patting Mint’s head.</p><p>            The little diamond’s eyes snapped fully open as she looked to her mothers with the most hurt and betrayed look on her face.</p><p>            “Nooo!” Mint whined, “I’m not tired!”</p><p>            “It’s already past your bedtime, Mint,” Yellow pointed out, “And you look very tired to me.”</p><p>            “Noooo! I’m <em>not</em> tired!”</p><p>            “How about this, Minty,” White offered, crouching down to her level, “If you just get dressed for bed, you can stay up a little longer while I tell you a story.”</p><p>            Mint nodded, excitedly agreeing to the deal. Blue and Yellow glanced at each other as White scooped her up in her arms.</p><p>            “We’ll meet you in the common room after she falls asleep,” Yellow told her. White nodded before carrying Mint up to her room.</p><p>            Mint’s bedroom looked like it was plucked out of a fairytale forest. Artificial leaves and flowers clung to the walls, and a shallow pond reflected the light given off from the starry ceiling. Wooden shelves in the shape of freshly chopped logs lined the walls with dolls, books, and toys, many of which were also scattered across the shiny, wood floor. Against one of the flowery walls sat a set of drawers in the shape of a large tree, which, once opened, revealed all the clothes that Mint was not yet able to project onto her form. Once White helped Mint pick out nightgown, she carried her over to the little nook of trees that cozily surrounded her leafy-green bed. Sitting down on top of the luxuriously soft bedding, White stroked the little diamond’s hair as she began her story.</p><p>            “Once upon a time, the Gem Homeworld was ruled by diamonds,” White began, “White, Yellow, Blue, and the littlest diamond–”</p><p>            “Pink!” Mint tiredly but proudly finished.</p><p>            White smiled and ruffled her hair a bit. For the next hour, she wove a wonderous story about the time Pink had managed to sneak an organic creature off one of Yellow’s newest colonies, and tried to keep it hidden in her room. She told of how Pink didn’t even make it a week before entering her room, only to find White Diamond waiting for her, asking what the alien creature was doing there. Of course, Pink looked down at her feet and claimed she didn’t know. In telling the tale, she left out all the begging and pleading, and a few tears Pink shed before White reluctantly agreed to let her keep the creature, reasoning that Mint didn’t need to know that part of the story right now.</p><p>            Finally, Mint had fallen asleep. As carefully as she could, White placed her under the covers and gave her a gentle kiss goodnight. Quietly making her way across the room, she spared one last glance at her little girl before dimming the lights and leaving the room.</p><p>            As promised, she met Blue and Yellow in the common room. The two of them sat across from each other in their cushioned chairs, in the midst of idle conversation, which stopped once the third diamond entered the room.</p><p>            “I take it she’s finally asleep?” Yellow asked her.</p><p>            “Yes, it turns out she <em>was</em> tired after all,” White said, taking her usual seat across from them.</p><p>            “We’ve talked about this, White. You need to stop coddling her.”</p><p>            “She’s old enough to put herself to sleep,” Blue agreed, “If we want to nip this attitude she’s developed–”</p><p>            “I know, I know,” White admitted, not meeting either of them in the eye, “I just… I like making her happy.”</p><p>            “We know you’re trying, White,” Blue assured her.</p><p>            “But if we’re going to have another baby, we need to get Mint used to having limits,” Yellow added.</p><p>            White nodded. She could almost laugh at the irony of Blue and Yellow telling <em>her</em> to stop spoiling their child. Finding a balance between not repeating the past and not having Mint end up a spoiled brat wasn’t an easy task for any of them, but the added difficulty of the lingering guilt White felt for the rocky start she had with Mint made finding that balance all the more harder.</p><p>            Not wanting to linger on that thought too much, she decided it was time for a subject change.</p><p>            “Only a few more cycles until we can start trying,” White perked up, meeting their eyes once again.</p><p>            “And you’re still certain you want to be the one to carry the baby?” Yellow asked.</p><p>            “We understand if you’ve changed your mind. You had such a… less than ideal experience last time.”</p><p>            “I can assure you both that I have not changed my mind. If it means getting a baby sooner, then I <em>want</em> to carry it.”</p><p>            “Two years isn’t that long of a wait until I have my cycle,” Yellow pointed out.</p><p>            “I appreciate your concern, both of you, but I <em>assure</em> you this is what I want. I want another baby. I’m in a better place than I was when I was pregnant with Mint. I’m confident in my abilities as a mother now. It’ll be a better experience this time.”</p><p>            Blue and Yellow looked at each other, before turning back to her and grinning.</p><p>            “Alright, but if you change your mind before your cycle starts–” Blue began.</p><p>            “I won’t, I promise you.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After trying for another child, the diamonds get a big surprise.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Having the curtains drawn made the room appear dreary and desolate, a state that bothered White these days, but the bright light from the outside world was more of a bother to her at the moment. Even the light given off by her own form was further irritating the painful pressure surrounding her gem, forcing her to lie in her dark room with a cloth covering her eyes.</p>
<p>            Despite the discomfort, a part of White couldn’t help but feel a hopeful joy. Headaches were one of her first symptoms when she fell pregnant with Mint, and given that she, Yellow, and Blue had spent all of the previous cycle trying for their second child, White was very hopeful that this meant she’d conceived. She wanted more than anything to rush down the halls and scan for conception, but she knew well that it was too soon. Her cycle had only just passed, and a scan at this stage would be too unreliable.</p>
<p>            Without any warning, a high-pitched scream pierced the air. White groaned and rubbed her temples, but froze as the cry of “I WANT MOMMYYYYY!” followed. No longer caring about her headache, White bolted out of bed and hurried through the halls to Mint’s room. There she found the little diamond thrashing about on the floor, kicking her legs and crying as Yellow stood over her, arms crossed and an unimpressed look on her face.</p>
<p>            “That’s not how we get what we want, Mint,” she reminded her.</p>
<p>            Mint let out another shriek, along with a string of “I WANT IT!”’s and “I WANT MOMMYYYYY!”’s.</p>
<p>            White flinched at the screaming and massaged her pounding head. It was then that Yellow noticed her in the doorway.</p>
<p>            “Mint, you need to quiet down,” Yellow said, her voice firm but gentle, “I told you, mommy has a headache.”</p>
<p>            Mint peaked up from the floor, intending to check if Yellow was still watching her, and spotted White in the doorway. Still crying, she picked herself off the floor and ran to her, hugging and burying her face into her legs.</p>
<p>            “Mommyyyyy!” she sobbed.</p>
<p>            Despite the pounding pain in her head, White looked to her sympathetically, and pat her head.</p>
<p>            “What’s wrong, Minty?”</p>
<p>            Mint choked out a few more sobs before answering. “M-Mommy won’t give me snaaaaacks!”</p>
<p>            “You already had your snack, Mint,” Yellow reminded her, “You can wait until your afternoon meal in an hour.”</p>
<p>            Mint sobbed harder, burying her face deeper into White’s legs as she sputtered incoherently. White could feel Yellow eyeing her. As much as she wanted to comfort her daughter, the need to ease the pain in her head was overshadowing her usual urge to give into Mint’s tears.</p>
<p>            “Mint, please let go of me and listen to mommy,” she told her as she rubbed her throbbing head, “Mommy has a bad headache right now.”</p>
<p>            Mint’s head sprung up, looking her mother in the eye. Her pale green eyes were puffy with tears as she looked to her in betrayal.</p>
<p>            “But mommyyyyy!” she begged.</p>
<p>            “It’s not up for debate, Mint.”</p>
<p>            Defeated, Mint let go of White and flung herself back onto the ground, resuming her kicking and screaming. Sensing it was time to step in, Yellow came forward and picked up the flailing toddler, nodding at White in thanks.</p>
<p>            “I’ll take it from here.”</p>
<p>            White nodded and went back to her room. Even with the distance, she continued to hear Mint’s muffled cries for the next half hour. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, as if it would ease the worsening pain, she made a mental note to make sure the new baby’s room would be outside the range of Mint’s screams.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>            The weeks passed. Finally, White stood in front of the monitor, holding Blue and Yellow’s hands as they anxiously awaited the results. Less than a minute had passed since the robinoid scanned her form, but every second that passed felt like an eternity.</p>
<p>            “Remember, it’s not the end of the world if the results aren’t favorable,” Blue comfortingly reminded her, “We’ll have plenty of chances to have another child.”</p>
<p>            White nodded but didn’t look at her once. Of course they’d have more chances to try for a child, but this was <em>her</em> chance. She <em>needed</em> this chance. She needed to set things right after all she’d put them through; from hiding her last pregnancy, to the eons of misery she’d put them through with her need for perfection. If she could give them this child, perhaps they could forgive her. Perhaps she could even forgive herself.</p>
<p>            Finally, there it was. White’s silhouette appeared on the screen, closing in on her pelvis and revealing a tiny, but very much there, bright mass of energy. White squeezed her lovers’ hands as a smile stretched across her face.</p>
<p>            “Our baby,” was all she could think to say.</p>
<p>            Before she knew it, the two other diamonds, beaming with equal amounts of joy, wrapped their arms around her. As she embraced them back, she spared another glance at the monitor. Suddenly, her face dropped, and her body stiffened.</p>
<p>            “What’s wrong?” Blue asked, her and Yellow pulling away in concern.</p>
<p>            White struggled to choke the words out, unable to take her eyes off the blinking purple box that had appeared next to her silhouette.</p>
<p>            “There’s an abnormality.”</p>
<p>            The happy atmosphere in the room was gone in an instant, replaced instead by overwhelming dread and a deafening silence. Her hands shaking, White tapped the box, causing a large wall of text to appear, as well as a higher quality image of White’s womb. The bright mass that would eventually become their baby was on full display… or rather…</p>
<p>            “Oh my stars, it’s twins!” Blue gasped.</p>
<p>            The dreadful tension in the room faded almost as quickly as it appeared. Blue and Yellow were smiling again, but White couldn’t shake her lingering worry.</p>
<p>            “Twins are rare indeed, but that alone shouldn’t trigger an abnormality warning.” She tapped the wall of text, further enlarging it so that it filled the entire screen. Her stomach dropped as she read through the text as quickly as she could.</p>
<p>            “Heterosired superfecundation,” she read aloud, “They… They have different sires.”</p>
<p>            Blue and Yellow didn’t react right away, needing a moment to wrap their heads around her words.</p>
<p>            “So…” Yellow began, now looking at the monitor to read through it herself, “What you’re saying is one is sired only by myself, and the other is sired only by Blue?”</p>
<p>            White nodded. “Yes.”</p>
<p>            She couldn’t bring herself to look at them. Why did her body have to betray her like this? The purpose of this was to carry a child sired by both Yellow <em>and</em> Blue, not have one child sired by each of them. How was having a child that belonged to one but not the other making it up to them?</p>
<p>            “Is that at all dangerous?” Blue asked, “Do they have any health complications because of this?”</p>
<p>            White shook her head. “No, they appear to be healthy otherwise.”</p>
<p>            Blue and Yellow looked to each other, then back at White. The elder diamond still refused to look at them, just stood there waiting for them to be upset.</p>
<p>            “Ok…” Yellow trailed off, “Ok, good.”</p>
<p>            Blue grinned. “I can’t believe it! Twins! Such a novelty. Mint’s going to be so happy. She’s going to have <em>two</em> baby sisters to love.”</p>
<p>            White looked up at them, unable to hide her bewilderment. “You’re… You’re both happy?”</p>
<p>            “Of course we’re happy!” Blue confirmed.</p>
<p>            “Why wouldn’t we be happy?” Yellow asked, “We <em>wanted</em> another baby, and now we’re getting two.”</p>
<p>            White smiled, her posture finally relaxing.</p>
<p>            “I’m so happy to hear that.” She once again took hold of both of their hands. “Let’s go tell Mint and Spinel.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>White Diamond gives birth.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            “How many babies are in mommy’s tummy?” White asked the little gem sitting at her side.  </p><p>            “Two!” Mint replied, proudly holding up two fingers.</p><p>            White smiled as she ran her fingers through Mint’s hair. The young gem rested her head against her mother’s bump, giggling as one of the babies kicked at her face. Leaning back against the sofa, White tried not to let on just how much she was fighting to keep her eyes open. Now that she was in the final stretch of her pregnancy, tiredness seemed to be her default state. She spared a glance out the window, taking note of how low the sun was in the sky. Mint’s bedtime was soon, as well as her own scheduled rest time. As much of an inconvenience it was having to sleep, she couldn’t help but look forward to tonight’s period of uninterrupted rest.</p><p>            “Alright Minty, it’s about that time. Go on off to your room. Mommy should be waiting for you.”</p><p>            Mint pouted. “But mommyyyyy!”</p><p>            “What did we talk about, Mint?”</p><p>            The little gem crossed her arms and scowled. “Bedtime will make me grow big and strong.”</p><p>            White smiled and kissed her forehead. “I love you, sweetie. Go on to your room, please.”</p><p>            Still pouting, Mint climbed down from the sofa and dragged her feet all the way out of the room. White waited for her to be out of sight before attempting to get up herself. It was truly astonishing how difficult such a simple task was these days. After three failed attempts, she finally managed to push herself to her feet, and began making her way down the halls.</p><p>            As she was walking, she caught a glimpse of herself on the reflective surface of the windows that lined the halls. She groaned internally as she turned her head away from the reflection. As happy as she was to be having these babies, she didn’t enjoy looking at herself these days. She especially hated how others stared at her when she was in public. Normally, she welcomed admiring stares, but the way others gawked at her swollen belly felt less than admiring. She was well aware of how starkly it contrasted her natural build, and the lingering eyes of others didn’t exactly help.</p><p>            Finally, she made it to her chambers. Waddling inside, she found Blue sitting on her bed, already waiting for her.</p><p>            “How are you feeling, White?” she asked, a tender smile of her face.</p><p>            “Like two small boulders have been tumbling about inside of me,” White flatly stated as she tiredly sat down on the pillowy bed.</p><p>            “Have you had any more pains?”</p><p>            White forced herself to suppress a sigh. As much as she appreciated the other diamond’s concern, all she wanted to do was lay back and go to sleep. “Not since this afternoon.”</p><p>            “Are you certain? Not even any small ones?”</p><p>            White groaned as she laid back against the pillows. “No.”</p><p>            Accepting that she would not be getting a more extensive answer out of her, Blue nodded and laid down next to her. White felt a little guilt for brushing her off so quickly, but the pains had been coming and going for several days. The first time she felt them, all three of them had rushed to the delivery room they’d had constructed –  the quick progression of her labor with Mint on the forefront of their minds – only to be met with several hours of nothing. The twins were clearly in much less of a hurry than their big sister, and on top of that, she was just so <em>tired</em>. Describing her latest false labor pains wasn’t exactly her top priority.</p><p>            Turning onto her side, White wrapped her arms around Blue and closed her eyes. As tired as she was, she found herself struggling to get comfortable. Normally just having someone with her was enough to make this sleeping thing easier, but being full term with twins tended to throw a wrench in that system. After a half hour of squirming and adjusting her position, she finally started to drift off, when a strange feeling between her legs caused her to suddenly snap wide awake.</p><p>            “Blue, get up! My water’s breaking!”</p><p>            Snapping awake as well, Blue wasted no time scrambling out of bed. As she helped White get to her feet, the small trickling quickly escalated to a large gush. White’s cheeks grew warm as she cringed at the unusual sensation.</p><p>            “Stars, that feels so disgusting!”</p><p>            Blue stared at her for a moment, her mouth agape. They had planned extensively for this very moment, but now that it was happening, she suddenly found herself unable to remember any of it.</p><p>            “White, the babies are coming!” she finally managed to choke out.</p><p>            The realization hit her as suddenly as it hit Blue. A nervous smile crept across her face. Finally, it was happening!</p><p>            “We better get going, then!”</p><p>            The two of them wasted no time getting to the delivery room. Mere moments after calling for her, Yellow rushed in, her normally put-together demeanor replaced with a mix of nerves and excitement.</p><p>            “I’m here! Has anything happened yet?”</p><p>            “No, they’re both still in here,” White said, both hands on her bump. Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, a familiar pain began spreading across her lower abdomen. Cringing inwardly, she reached out for her lovers’ hands, unable to speak more than one word. “Contraction.”</p><p>            Immediately taking her hands, Blue and Yellow sat next to her on the bed.</p><p>            “Slow, deep breath in,” Blue reminded her, “Now another one out. Great job!”</p><p>            White kept her eyes tightly closed as she followed Blue’s instructions. Finally, the tightening in her abdomen began to ease, and she loosened her grip on her lovers’ hands.  </p><p>            “Ok, it’s passed.”</p><p>            As she let out a final breath in relief, Yellow let go of her hand.</p><p>            “Have you checked your dilation yet?”</p><p>            White shook her head. “Not yet.”</p><p>            “Do you want me to do it, or do you want to?”</p><p>            “I’m doing enough work right now, thank you.” Laying down against the pillows, she phased out of her cape and leotard, and into a simpler, loose-fitting sleeping gown. She spread her legs and tried to relax as Yellow checked her.</p><p>            “You’re about halfway there,” she informed her, “Since your water already broke, I don’t imagine it’ll take too long.”</p><p>            “I’ve been in the first stage of labor for four days. I don’t think–” She was cut off by another twinge of pain. “Stars, help me!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>            The hours passed slowly. White’s contractions were increasing with intensity and decreasing in time in between. Her gown clung to her body from how much she was sweating, and she found it difficult to catch her breath. She’d spent the last few hours cycling between pacing the room with the help of Yellow and Blue and resting in the bed, but now the pain had increased to the point where she refused to leave the bed.</p><p>            While she laid on her side, Blue sat to her left, rubbing her back, and Yellow sat to her right, holding her hands. As she breathed through more contractions, they both offered constant words of encouragement. She was so thankful for them in this moment, unable to imagine what she’d do without them. She’d have to remember to tell them this once she was able to speak more than few-word sentences.</p><p>            With the latest contraction passing, White turned onto her back to adjust her position. As she did, her breath hitched, and her body stiffened.</p><p>            “White–” Blue began.</p><p>            “I need to push!”  </p><p>            Without wasting a beat, Blue and Yellow helped her into an upright position, and spread her legs. Blue stayed at her side, holding her hand, while Yellow moved down to her lower half. She went to check her dilation, and quickly pulled her hand back.</p><p>            “Yep, she’s coming! Start pushing on your next contraction.”</p><p>            White nodded. As soon as she felt the first twinges of pain, she started to push, her grip on Blue’s hand tightening. Time somehow seemed to slow even more as the pain began to increase.  </p><p>            “You’re doing great, White,” Yellow encouraged, “She’s crowning!”</p><p>            Gritting her teeth, White let out low groans as her grip on Blue’s hand tightened even more. Just moments later, a high-pitched cry filled the air. White peaked her eyes open in time to see Yellow hold up a pale blue baby.</p><p>            “She’s beautiful!” Blue cried, tears already filling her eyes as Yellow placed the baby on White’s chest.</p><p>            While the other two diamonds helped clean her off, White took the time to take in everything about her new daughter. Her hair was such a pale blue that it was almost white, strands of which clung to the five-sided gem on her forehead. Still waling, the little one’s eyes opened a bit, revealing light gray irises and white pupils. Tears of joy in her own eyes, White gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.</p><p>            “Welcome to the world, Hope Diamond.”</p><p>            Once most of the gestational fluid and sediment had been cleaned off, Blue took the baby from White, stepping away to wrap her in a clean blanket. Still beaming with pride as she watched her lover handle the little one, White wondered if she had time to nurse her, but a sudden and familiar pressure answered the question for her.</p><p>            “The other one’s coming!”</p><p>            Yellow hurried back between her legs, while Blue continued to tend to baby Hope. White quickly started pushing again, getting lots of encouragement from Yellow as she did so.</p><p>            “That’s it, White, you’re doing great. Almost–” Suddenly, she stopped. Too suddenly. Her eyes widened in horror, and she couldn’t stop her next words from coming out in a yell. “White, stop pushing!”</p><p>            White opened her eyes, alarmed by Yellow’s panic.</p><p>            “What-What’s wrong?” she shakily but urgently asked.</p><p>            Yellow didn’t respond right away, her words stuck in her throat. Putting Hope in her cot, Blue hurried over and looked between White’s legs, unable to stop herself from letting out a horrified gasp.</p><p>            “Oh my stars!”</p><p>            “One of you tell me what’s wrong! <em>Now!</em>” White demanded, much more aggressive this time.</p><p>            Shaking, Yellow looked up at her. “She… She’s turned sideways. Her arm just came out.”</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In the wake of the birth of their twins, the diamonds are forced to face the elephant in the room.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm so sorry it took nearly two months for me to finish this chapter. I didn't intend for it to take so long.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Yellow couldn’t stop herself from shaking, her eyes locked onto the knife in her hand. The pounding in her ears was so loud it nearly drowned out the cries of the newborn diamond. The reflective glare shining off the gemstone on the pillow below was near blinding, but Yellow still couldn’t bring herself to move. She could still hear White screaming at her to <em>“DO IT NOW!” </em>and<em> “Her form could dissipate at any moment!” </em>She was certain she’d never forget the sound that escaped White’s lips as she plunged the medical tool into the larger diamond’s shoulder. It needed to be done – there was no other choice – but knowing that didn’t make it any less harrowing.</p>
<p>            Seemingly without warning, Yellow felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. Snapping back to the present, she turned around to see Blue holding a screaming, pale yellow baby.</p>
<p>            “It’s ok, Yellow,” Blue tried to assure her, “Champagne is ok.” Taking her hand off her shoulder, she gently loosened Yellow’s grip on the medical tool. Once it was safely resting on the side of the bed, she placed the baby in Yellow’s tense arms.</p>
<p>            Yellow stared down at her daughter, still unable to speak. Like the elder twin, Champagne’s gem was on her forehead, though, unlike Hope’s, its shape was akin to the four-sided gem of her sire’s. Her hair also resembled Yellow’s in color, but its fluffiness and slight curl were features that neither of her mothers possessed. While taking a half-second break from screaming, her eyes peeked open, revealing pale yellow irises and black pupils.</p>
<p>            Yellow knew she should be beaming with pride, but the thoughts racing through her mind were too much of a distraction. They’d known from the scans that Champagne was breeched. They’d spent cycles reading every document on pregnancy and birth, and obtained every piece of equipment they could possibly need to deliver a breeched baby. Even with all that planning, they were woefully unprepared for Champagne to turn onto her side once her twin left the womb. That was <em>never</em> an outcome they expected.</p>
<p>            Seeing her fellow diamond’s continued unease, Blue wrapped her arms around Yellow.</p>
<p>            “It’s ok,” she repeated, “Champagne is ok.”</p>
<p>            Yellow’s only response was to rest her forehead against Blue’s. At least that much was true; aside from some slight swelling in her arm, Champagne appeared to be healthy. Both babies were healthy. Both babies were here. All that was missing was…</p>
<p>            Yellow couldn’t stop herself from looking back at the gem resting on the pillow. The light coming in from the rising sun was still reflecting off its surface, in turn causing streams of rainbow-like light to reflect onto the bedding and walls.</p>
<p>            “White should return to us shortly,” Yellow finally spoke, though her voice was riddled with uncertainty, “The bedding should be changed. I’ll tend to the baby.”</p>
<p>            Blue nodded and let go of Yellow. The two of them were silent as they did their tasks, the only sound to be heard being the whimpers and soft cooing from the two newborns. It was almost unsettling how quiet it was, but neither of them could bring themselves to speak.</p>
<p>            As she spread fresh sheets onto the bed, Blue suddenly noticed how much her hands were shaking. It was so jarring how quickly the mood had shifted. Just moments ago, they were all full of joy, and now… She looked up at Yellow, who conveniently had her back turned.</p>
<p>            “Do you think White will be ok?” she asked, “She already had such a horrible experience when she had Mint, and now–”</p>
<p>            “I don’t know,” Yellow interrupted, placing the now swaddled baby in the unoccupied cot. She stared down at the babies, not saying anything else for several minutes.</p>
<p>            “It should’ve been me,” she said through gritted teeth, “I should’ve insisted on being the one to carry. I shouldn’t have let her go through this again.”</p>
<p>            Blue could’ve laughed, had there not been so much tension in the air. “You know White. Your insistence wouldn’t have made a difference.”</p>
<p>            Yellow suppressed a sigh. Of course she knew this – White always did what she wanted – but it didn’t stop her guilt.</p>
<p>            The room fell silent again. The babies were tended to, and the bedding was stripped and changed. Unless the babies started crying, there was nothing left to do except wait for White to return. In spite of Yellow’s earlier statement, neither had any idea how long she’d take to reform. She could be back in minutes, or she could take days. The uncertainty of it was incredibly distressing.</p>
<p>            Finally, after the longest hour of their lives, a bright, glowing, white light caught the attention of Blue and Yellow. Looking to where they’d left White’s gem, they watched as it levitated off the bed and began emitting an even brighter light. Her form appeared within seconds, her body back to how it was pre-pregnancy, and her leotard drastically different from how it was before; the neckline being much lower, and the sharp edges of the design now much softer.</p>
<p>            As her consciousness returned to her, White immediately noticed that despite having repaired herself, she still felt the fatigue from the delivery. She could only conclude that the chemical changes in her body weren’t to be done away with so easily, and the affects of pregnancy and birth would still be running its course for the next several days.  </p>
<p>            As soon as her feet touched the ground, White could hear her lovers exclaim her name, and, before she even opened her eyes, they surrounded her. Under normal circumstances, White would have lavished in their welcome, but right now she only had one thing on her mind.</p>
<p>            “Champagne! Is she –!”</p>
<p>            “She’s fine,” Blue assured her, “We got her out with plenty of time.”</p>
<p>            Feeling an immediate wave of relief, White hurried over to the cots. Seeing both her babies, swaddled and sound asleep, she smiled.</p>
<p>            “Thank the stars,” she quietly uttered. Without even thinking, she gently lifted Champagne up out of her cot. The little one soon stirred and began to fuss.</p>
<p>            “Have they been fed?” White asked, turned back to Blue and Yellow.</p>
<p>            “Not yet,” Yellow said, “We were going to try to give them a bottle if you took longer than an hour, but you just made it.”</p>
<p>            White nodded and went and sat down on the bed, leaning back against the pillows. Pulling the front of her leotard down, she exposed her breasts and started nursing Champagne. She gestured for one of them to bring Hope to her, and quickly started nursing her too.</p>
<p>            As they watched White nurse the babies, Blue and Yellow were suddenly hit with a wave of relief. White was back. The family was together. All was well. Suddenly drained from the past hour’s emotional rollercoaster, they sat down on either side of White, looking down at the babies as they rested their heads against her shoulders.</p>
<p>            While Blue and Yellow finally felt a sense of calm, the quiet gave White too much room to think. Her worst fear had been realized; something had gone wrong. It went <em>so</em> wrong so fast. What was supposed to be a wonderful moment would forever be tainted with horror. She tried to push these thoughts down, telling herself to just focus on her babies and not make things worse, but she couldn’t stop the words from spilling out.</p>
<p>            “I’m sorry for what happened.”</p>
<p>            Hearing this, Blue and Yellow sat up straight, their brows furrowed in confusion.</p>
<p>            “Why are <em>you</em> sorry?” Yellow asked.</p>
<p>            White hesitated, instantly regretting that she said anything. She was too tired for this, but it was too late. The floodgate had been opened.</p>
<p>            “It was supposed to be better this time,” she explained, still looking down at the babies, “Our daughters’ entrance into the world was supposed to be a happier experience this time, but my body failed us. If I–”</p>
<p>            “White, <em>no</em>,” Yellow interrupted, she and Blue suddenly on full alert.</p>
<p>            “It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault,” Blue added, “None of us could’ve predicted what would happen.”</p>
<p>            “Even so, I still failed you two. I put you through so much when Mint was born. The <em>least</em> I could’ve done was give you a better experience this time.”</p>
<p>            Blue and Yellow stared at her.</p>
<p>            “Is... is that why you were so insistent on being the one to carry?” Blue asked.</p>
<p>            “How else was I supposed to fix things?” she asked, still not looking up, “You’re always telling me that Mint doesn’t even remember what happened, but <em>I</em> do, and you two do too. I needed to–” She stopped herself, but a quick glance at Blue and Yellow told her they weren’t going to let her drop it. “… I needed you two to forgive me.”</p>
<p>            No one spoke for the longest time. Blue and Yellow continued to stare at her, trying to find the right words.</p>
<p>            “Who said we hadn’t already forgiven you?” Yellow asked.</p>
<p>            White finally lifted her head. Her mouth fell open, but no words came out.</p>
<p>            “She’s right, White. You never had anything to prove to us.”  </p>
<p>            “What happened when Mint was born is over and done,” Yellow continued, “You’re so great with her now, and you’re going to be great with Hope and Champagne.”</p>
<p>            “No one’s upset with you, especially not because of what happened today. It got scary there for a moment, but you and the babies are ok. That’s what’s important.”</p>
<p>            White still couldn’t speak. Her vision began to cloud as tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she felt a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders.</p>
<p>            “Thank you,” was all she was able to say.</p>
<p>            If it weren’t for the babies on her breasts, Blue and Yellow would’ve hugged her tight. Instead they settled for kissing her on the cheek and cuddling with her until the twins were done nursing.</p>
<p>            “I believe it’s time for Mint and Spinel to join us,” White said as she covered herself.</p>
<p>            Agreeing wholeheartedly, Blue and Yellow sent out a message for them. Within minutes, Mint came sprinting into the room, and the sound of Spinel’s springing footsteps could be heard some yards away.</p>
<p>            “Mommyyyy!” Mint happily cried out as she ran over to White’s bedside. The diamonds smiled, and Yellow lifted her onto the bed. Mint gave White a hug, and in return, White gave her a kiss on the forehead.</p>
<p>            “Meet your new baby sisters.”</p>
<p>            Mint’s eyes widened as she laid eyes on the bundles in her mother’s arms. Very gently, she moved the blankets away from their faces, wanting to get a better look.</p>
<p>            “They’re cute!” Mint said, her eyes sparking with joy. She looked up at White. “Can I hold them?”</p>
<p>            Trying to hold back tears, the diamonds had Mint sit closely next to White. Yellow took Hope from White, and very gently placed her in Mint’s arms, helping her hold her properly.</p>
<p>            “Her gem’s like mine!” Mint proudly pointed out. She gave the baby a gently kiss in the top of the head. “I love them, mommies!”</p>
<p>            Before they could shed any happy tears, they were finally joined by Spinel. Extending her arms to pull herself onto the bed, she let out a happy squeal as she saw the babies.</p>
<p>            “They have your gem placement, White!” were the first words out of her mouth.</p>
<p>            White grinned. She glanced around at her family, so happy they were finally all together, or rather, as together as they could be. As uncertain as the future looked sometimes, in this moment she truly felt the journey ahead was bright.</p>
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